Perhaps
by xfirexfalconx
Summary: Oneshot, unless people express the desire to have it otherwise. It's a hot summer day when Naraku decides to pay Kikyou a visit. Hints towards NarakuxKikyou. Kikyou's PoV.


I laid on the low hanging tree branch, my stomach against the bark and my back to the sun. It was one of those hot summer days, when you feel as though you can't breathe, and even blinking seems to be a chore. My hair, which I had tied back, still stuck against my skin in a black, sweaty mess. Fake body or not, this blasted heat was getting on my nerves. Luckily, I had found some relief.

Shifting my quiver of arrows to the left shoulder, I hung my right arm over the side of the branch, dipping my fingers into the cool waters of the pond only three feet below my perch. The low rumble of the waterfall was soothing, as was the mist that hung in the air. Even the blazing, golden sun couldn't heat this place; the thick tree canopy only let a few streams of light through.

My image rippled and broke in the water. A pale face, two hazel eyes...was I beautiful? I didn't know. My heart ached a bit as I thought over the last few days. Obviously, InuYasha saw more in my supposed incarnation than me. I didn't mind, as I could live without him...but it was the fact that he couldn't seem to make up his mind that irked me. But this beautiful place brought solace, with the thick vegetation, bright flowers and cold waters. Peace and quiet.

"Greetings, Kikyou."

Almost subconciously, my back leg kicked out at the voice behind me, and I sat up as I heard a splash below. I narrowed my eyes, staring down at the water. So much for peace and quiet.

"You should know better than to sneak up on me, Naraku," I hissed, folding my arms over my chest.

Resurfacing above water, the red-eyed demon spit out some water, grabbing ahold of another treebranch. With a sigh, he looked mournfully at his black kimono, now soaked. It gave me a smug, fleeting glee to have ruined one of his favorite outfits.

"Hello to you, too!" he grumbled, pulling himself onto shore. "Whatever happened to that womanly charm and priestess civilness?"

Eyeing him, I laughed. "That went with the humanity, I'm afraid. Which is your own fault, so you have noone to blame but yourself."

Naraku glanced up at me, frowning. I rested my chin on my arm, gazing back down at him in silence. A small smile flitted across my face, and soon I chuckled. Tugging a lock of hair from his eyes, he glared at me.

"What?" he snapped, and for a moment I thought I saw the barest hint of embarressment in his eyes.

"You look uncannily like a drowned weasel," I drawled, slipping off my branch down to where he sat. "Sadly, since you're neither a weasel, nor drowned, I still have to kill you one of these days."

Watching me, he smiled slightly. "Today?"

"No...not today. It's too hot for that," I said, balancing on the new branch, and carefully walking across it towards him, like I used to do with fences in my village. Finally, I reached his side without falling, and flopped down, dangling my legs over the side and into the water.

"Indeed," Naraku replied with a hint of amusement, looking towards the pool. "Perhaps tomorrow, then."

"Perhaps."

We fell into a silence, and after a long while, the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the water. It wasn't the first time we had sat like this, with no one watching...no one expecting anything different from us. It probably wouldn't be the last time, either. Somehow, I didn't mind.

Finally, it was night, and the heat of the day gave way to blessed, cool darkness. I could feel the familiar fatigue that came over me, which signaled the need for souls. Streching my legs, I stood and pet one of my Collectors, which heard my silent call. I glanced down at Naraku, feeling his eyes on me. He looked from the creature, to me, and I almost thought I saw regret, longing...I must have been seeing things this day, for it was gone. I began to walk away.

"You still have to kill me someday, you know."

I stopped, and looked at him over my shoulder. "Indeed."

He smiled. A real smile, I knew. "Tomorrow?"

Squinting, I looked up at the sky. "Looks like it's going to be another hot day tomorrow. I might be busy, too...kids in the village. That sort of thing."

"The next day, perhaps."

When I looked back down to the branch, he was gone. I felt myself smile a bit as I walked into the woods, the blue glow of souls swirling around my feet. Perhaps...


End file.
